Waterstone For Nib Polish - Anyone ?

[mthayeb]

I heard from a local pen maker about the nib polishing using a waterstone (or sandstone) with higher grit numbers (10000 above). i know there commercial product there, polish pads with all possible grit numbers. But i want to try out the traditional way of working and improving nibs.

 

anyone tried the stone polish method ?

 

[alexwi]

I don't know if this is helpful to you, but maybe, so...

 

I recently ground a broken Parker 45 nib into a stub and used one of those diamond knife sharpening gizmos to give it an initial shape. The one I used was from Smith's, similar to this one: https://www.smithsproducts.com/pack-pal-diamond-combination-sharpener

 

Here's the story, with some pictures, in case you're interested: https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/338065-grind-and-rescue

 

If the specifications on Smith's web site apply to my sharpener, the grit I used for that shaping stage was 750. I would give the nib a few passes, check with a loupe, and repeat as necessary. Checking every few passes with such a low grit is imperative, as the difference from one step to the next is huge (HUGE, I telll you).

 

Once I had the nib shaped as I wanted, I switched to pads in order to polish and round the corners further.

 

I didn't use stones because it was just an experiment and I didn't want to spend a lot of money, so I ordered the pads instead.

 

This article (in Spanish, but nothing google translate couldn't handle) might come handy for you: https://www.apedradasmeigas.com/videos-y-manuales/afilando-plumas-por-jose-garrido/

 

The stones used by the author are these ones (80 Euros for a set): https://www.apedradasmeigas.com/tienda/#!/Juego-piedras-para-m%C3%A1quinas-de-afilar-Ebel-pro-Edge-pro/p/82144844/category=5494243

 

I *imagine* that the pads are more forgiving because they're not hard, like the stones, and as the nib sinks into them, even if just a minuscule fraction of a millimeter, they "help" you, whereas the stones are hard, which makes them unforgiving if you don't move the pen the right way as you grind.

 

Note: If memory serves, I watched a video about knife sharpening recently, and it stated that two stones with the same grit may be quite different from one-another when it comes to how aggressively they remove material. I wish I could remember, because I would like to inquire about this. If this is true, grit alone doesn't tell the whole story when it comes to picking a stone for your application.

 

Good luck and post your results!!!

 

alex

[jekostas]

I heard from a local pen maker about the nib polishing using a waterstone (or sandstone) with higher grit numbers (10000 above). i know there commercial product there, polish pads with all possible grit numbers. But i want to try out the traditional way of working and improving nibs.

 

anyone tried the stone polish method ?

 

 

You can certainly use waterstones for nib smoothing/tuning/grinding, but be aware of the following:

 

1. Suitable stones are quite expensive. Very expensive, in fact. You'll generally want to look at a ceramic or water stone from a well-known maker like Shapton or Sigma, and the higher grits cost a ton of money. It's also not a good idea to buy cheap stones as they often don't have consistent grit sizing, which can be extremely frustrating when trying to smooth a nib.

 

2. Stones wear. Constantly using a stone for anything requires flattening on a regular basis, and that's when you're sharpening things like tools or kitchen knives that go over a large area of the stone. Trying to use a stone for fountain pens will create groves in the surface that need to be flattened out on a regular basis lest you get inconsistent results.

[mthayeb]

reading/researching further, i realized club of stone and high grit sand paper pad will do good for my prupose.

 

Stone is good for initial rounds of shaping the nib, and higher number grits will do the fine part.

 

Yes, i guessed (and i have seen similar cases) about the tear and wear might happen to the stone.

 

Still, with all the concerns, i will give it a try with the stone, because i love the traditional way to some extent. Would skip it only if i cant develop the art of doing it.

 

Note : I know i will shape the art of doing out of it.

[FarmBoy]

Traditional as in manufacturers such as Parker, Sheaffer, etc would be to use hard felt wheels and a rouges.

[Hanamizu]

Trying to use a stone for fountain pens will create groves in the surface that need to be flattened out on a regular basis lest you get inconsistent results.

 

 

How about using the edge of the water stone for nibs? That way you don't mess with the larger surface.

[Honeybadgers]

I use the sides of waterstones for initial shaping, but polishing work is done with felt wheels and jewler's rouge on a dremel, followed by mylar paper for final.

 

Also, if you use whetstones, you should routinely flatten them anyways.

Edited September 17, 2018 by Honeybadgers

[mthayeb]

I use the sides of waterstones for initial shaping, but polishing work is done with felt wheels and jewler's rouge on a dremel, followed by mylar paper for final.

 

Also, if you use whetstones, you should routinely flatten them anyways.

 

yes, flattening whetstones is a task (and sometimes doesnt worth the effort), i thought of discarding them once there are enough tear and wear on the stone. Or use them for sharpening kitchen blades.

[jekostas]

 

 

How about using the edge of the water stone for nibs? That way you don't mess with the larger surface.

 

They're still going to wear in the exact same way and will need flattening eventually, but it may be worthwhile if you're using your stones on tools/knives regularly. Again, though, consistency of the abrasive particles is paramount when dealing with nibs, so unless you're spending good money on high quality stones already, stick with the Micromesh.

Edited September 18, 2018 by jekostas